Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso convened a gathering at Bed-Stuy’s Restoration Plaza on March 24 to announce the release of a new report that issues suggestions about how New Yorkers can continue to enjoy living in the city as they grow older.

The report is the product of the Age-friendly Brooklyn Task Force, which was first put together by Mayor Eric Adams when he served as Brooklyn’s borough president. Working together with the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM)—and using NYAM’s “Age-friendly Brooklyn: Findings and Recommendations” report from 2019 as a starting point––the task force came up with 10 recommendations that would help make New York City more enjoyable for people of all ages.

It’s no secret that New York City can be a challenging place to live. The physical challenges of subway stairwells and living among constant street congestion, noises, and pollution emissions; on top of the emotional and financial tolls of health care, high living expenses, the potential of social isolation and worries about financial security can make living here burdensome for a person of any age. 

Our city’s elders got together to strategize about ways the city can make it easier to deal with the pressures. 

Members of organizations like Age-friendly Central Brooklyn, Bay Ridge Age-friendly Project, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn-wide Interagency Council on Aging (BWICA), Catholic Charities POP Development Corporation, Chinese American Planning Council, Citymeals on Wheels, Good Neighbors of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, and GRIOT Circle were among many who helped form the Age-friendly Brooklyn Task Force.

“We can improve health outcomes and expand opportunities for all adults,” assured Borough President Reynoso. “As our borough rapidly grows, and our aging community continues to increase, we must make sure it does so equitably––and that means providing the housing, infrastructure, and resources that encourage health, comfort, and opportunities for our older adults.

The report’s recommendations were the city prioritize:

1. Housing: Expand and promote housing options for older adults, including supportive housing, grandparent housing, and home sharing options.
2. Outdoor Spaces: Ensure safe, clean, and well-maintained sidewalks and safe, well-lit intersections in neighborhoods.
3. Transportation: Provide training to MTA bus drivers and rideshare drivers on working with older riders and/or riders with disabilities.
4. Access to Information: Expand access to information about news, events, health services, and public benefits.
5. Digital Access: Increase digital accessibility and literacy for older adults, including an expansion of computer and technology classes.
6. Language Access: Expand language access for mental health services.
7. Expanded Partnerships: Establish opportunities for private and public partnerships, including “Adopt-an-Older-Adult Center” programs.
8. Employment: Increase employment opportunities that fit the diverse vocational needs of older adults.
9. Arts & Culture: Increase opportunities and funding for programming at cultural institutions, community centers and spaces, and faith-based organizations.
10. Volunteerism: Cultivate and promote opportunities for volunteerism.

“I am an aging advocate. I am an aging disruptor. I am a member of one of––I think––the baddest and the best aging improvement districts in all of New York state,” bragged Assembly Member Stefani Zinerman when she came to speak before those in attendance. 

Zinerman represents New York’s 56th state assembly district, which covers Bedford-Stuyvesant and portions of Crown Heights. 

Elana Kieffer, director at the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) Center for Healthy Aging, lauded the elders from Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood who, she said,  are “the vanguard of the age-friendly neighborhoods movement. There are about 15 other age-friendly neighborhood organizations across New York City that really looks to Bed Stuy, and hope to replicate your achievements and your work and your progress and your successes right here, and we’re really, truly honored to be standing here today and to be among you all.”

Assembly Member Zinerman noted that her predecessor, former Assemblyman and City Council Member Al Vann, was the city council member who helped NYAM start the first aging improvement district.

“The reason why this report is so important is because the most important people in the world were at the table,” Zinerman said. “The older adults in this community and throughout Brooklyn stood up and said ‘We are going to be respected. We are going to be included.’ And, in the words of Shirley Chisholm, we’re going to pull our chair up to the table, take a seat, and tell everybody what it is that we need. And so, we already know what to do. We brought the best resources to the table, now it is about the implementation: it is about the next steps.”

The post Age-friendly Brooklyn report is a model for healthy aging in NYC appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

It is common to feel overwhelmed by the obstacles of life, causing strong emotions in adults and children. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stress can be a main factor in physical and mental health, resulting in changes in appetite, energy, desires, and interests; worsening of chronic health problems; increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances; difficulty sleeping, and much more. 

During times of extreme stress, many even find themselves stuck in suicidal thoughts. However, you are not alone. There are resources to help tackle these negative outcomes, thanks to a variety of mental health resources throughout the tri-state, including New Jersey’s 24-hour mental health hotline services, which are available to anyone and everyone: 

NJ HopeLine, 855-654-6735 

NJ Mental Health Cares, 866-202-4357; email, help@njmentalhealthcares.org 

Veterans Counseling Hotline, 866-838-7654

The post April is Stress Awareness Month appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

It’s not the law yet, but it might soon be as a group of legislators just presented Intro No. 1003, which would require corporate-owned fast casual food establishments in NYC to offer consumers “the option to request reusable food packaging and participate in a system for return of the food packaging,” according to an official press release. 

The “Choose to Reuse” bill would basically mandate the Shack Shacks and Chipotles of New York to only offer one-time-use utensils and containers upon request, opting instead to serve their fare in reusable containers that would allow for less pollution all around.

“Single-use plastics are littering streets, clogging water supply, entering human blood streams, piling up in landfills and crucially, contributing to climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions,” reads the press release. “In the U.S. 561 billion disposable food service items are used every year, resulting in 4.9 million tons of waste. In recent years, packaging marketed as biodegradable or compostable has been positioned as a solution, but in reality those single-use solutions contribute to climate-warming emissions and waste. And while NYC is taking steps to increase access to citywide residential composting, organics processing centers in cities across the country will no longer even accept packaging marked as “compostable” because it contaminates the compost and cannot truly be degraded into organic material.”

Even more specifically, re-usable products emit less greenhouse gas than their disposable counterparts, a fact that might actually help the city reach its climate emissions targets a bit more easily and swiftly. 

“This bill is a significant step toward a more sustainable and responsible food service industry,” said Manhattan borough president Mark Levine in an official statement. “A less polluted, more resilient New York depends on innovating in every industry so that we’re relying on fewer single-use products. If eating with reusable materials is the norm in our homes and sit-down restaurants, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be in corporate-owned fast casual restaurants.”

Given New York’s overall disposition towards all things sustainability, this new effort certainly fits the character of the city. Here’s to hoping it will actually turn into reality.

In the meantime, we suggest you perhaps learn how to compost, recycle and basically get rid of anything in NYC. We all have to do our part, after all, right?

* This article was originally published here

Having a dog in a city of 8.5 million people and the skinniest apartments is a bit counter-intuitive but we New Yorkers have a soft spot for four-legged pals. No matter where we live, we’ll want to share it with man’s best friend.

From the city’s best dog parks to dog-friendly restaurants, we want to take them everywhere, but always it’s best to keep their quality of life in mind, even from the get-go. 

Well, Renthop.com just released a list of the best and worst dogs for apartment living, and while some of the choices are obvious, others are … unexpected.

It seems that smaller dogs (with the exception of two types of large dog) are, of course, among the best for apartment living since space is limited.

Best dogs for NYC apartments:

• French Bulldogs: friendly, energetic and easy to train, but just need to be walked. 
• Scottish Terriers: stubborn, confident and affectionate, but require training, socialization and long walks.
• Basenjis: Affectionate, independent and cannot bark (they “yodel”) and just need more attention than others.
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniels: quiet, low-maintenance lap dog that just need a few brushings a week.
• Great Danes: couch potatoes that prefer to be cozy, friendly, easy to train and sweet, but are quite large and need long walks are needed.
• Newfoundlands: Another big breed that love to be lazy and cuddly but need grooming and drools.
• Bichon Frises: somewhat hypoallergenic and great with dogs and kids but they bark.
• Corgis: Adaptable, friendly and cuddly couch potatoes but don’t do great with smaller children.
• Chihuahuas: Cuddly and loyal but aren’t patient with children and training can be difficult.

Some of the worst dogs to put in an apartment are working dogs or dogs that need more space to be active.

Worst dogs for apartments:

• Siberian Huskies: Energetic and need a lot of exercise and a job to do. They’re very vocal and shed a lot, too.
• Border Collies: Energetic and love to have a job, if they don’t, they can become destructive.
• Dalmatians: Need training, socialization, lots of space to run around in and mental stimulation because they are highly intelligent.
• German Shorthaired Pointers: Hunting dogs that need outdoor activities. They bark and howl a lot and need a bit of grooming.

Of course, these are generalizations, but if you live in NYC, you should seek out a dog that is lower maintenance and make sure you take them out as often as you can.

On that note, Renthop has a list of dog-friendly apartments you can check out right here.

* This article was originally published here